Role of strain rate in the strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of natural and synthetic isoprene rubber

• Published in: Polymer journal Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 221 - 226
• Main Authors: Kitamura, Yuji, Okada, Kiyoka, Masunaga, Hiroyasu, Hikosaka, Masamichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Nature Publishing Group 01.02.2019
• Subjects: Crystallization; Isoprene rubber; Natural rubber; Nucleation; Strain rate; Synchrotron radiation; Time synchronization; X ray detectors; X-ray scattering
• ISSN: 0032-3896; 1349-0540
• DOI: 10.1038/s41428-018-0144-5

The role of strain rate (\[{{\dot \varepsilon }}\]) in the strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of vulcanized natural rubber (NR) and synthetic isoprene rubber (IR) was studied using in situ wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) (synchrotron X-ray radiation). We developed homemade extension equipment and coupled it with the synchronized time-resolved X-ray detector system. The nucleation rate (I) was determined for a wide range of \[{{\dot \varepsilon }}\] values (0.0075 s−1–330 s−1) based on the increase in the scattering intensity (IX) as a function of time (t). We found that I is proportional to \[{\dot{\varepsilon }}\] (\[I \propto \dot \varepsilon\]). Based on this result, we concluded that \[\dot \varepsilon\] plays an important role in the kinetic mechanism of the SIC of NR and IR.